PETE RAWSON – Chairman

Pete Rawson is an Emeritus Professor of Geology in the University of London and Honorary Professor in the University of Hull. After completing his degrees at Hull he spent his academic career in London, at Queen Mary College (1966-83) and then University College London (UCL: 1983-2003), before retiring to Scarborough in 2006.

His main research interest is the Cretaceous Period, particularly its ammonite faunas. He serves on several international and national scientific committees, chaired the International Subcommission on Cretaceous Stratigraphy (1994-2004), is an Associate Editor of “Cretaceous Research” and has published over 130 books, papers and popular articles.

More locally, he was President of the Yorkshire Geological Society from2002-2004, has long researched on the Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks of the Yorkshire Coast and is joint author of the Geologists’ Association guide to the area. Currently he is based in the Centre for Marine and Environmental Sciences in Hull University’s Scarborough campus.

RALPH COYLE – Deputy Chairman

Ralph Coyle is a solicitor. He trained at British Leyland; joined the Fairey Group in 1974 as legal adviser (promoted to Company Secretary in 1977), Quaker Oats in 1981 as Company Secretary and Head of Legal and Public Relations and Yorkshire Television in 1985 as Senior Legal Advisor and Company Secretary (appointed a main Board Director in 1990). He administered the YTV part of three ITV Telethons in 1988, 1990 and 1992 (raising over £6 million for regional charities and causes). Ralph joined CANAL+ the French-based pay television group in 1996, carrying out a company secretarial and legal adviser's role; and Commercial Union in 1998.

Working in the York office of Rollits solicitors, he was a partner specialising in commercial law and head of Charity Law until July 2008. He is a non-executive director of the NHS Bradford District Care Trust and a member of the Court of Leeds University.

MARK SINGLETON EVANS MBE - Member

Mark Evans worked on the Stock Exchange, London (1957-93), and was a partner in Laing & Cruickshank (1964-93). He specialised in Corporate Finance. He was a member of North Yorkshire County Council (1993-2001), High Sheriff of North Yorkshire (2002-03) and Chairman of St John Council for North Yorkshire (1997-2004).

Mark was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to the community in Scarborough, North Yorkshire in June 2009.

COUNCILLOR DAVID JEFFELS - Member

Scarborough Borough Council member since 1973.

He is currently Chairman of the British Resorts Association and of the York and North Yorkshire Playing Fields Association, Trustee and Council Member of the National Playing Fields Association, vice chairman of the Yorkshire Rural Community Council, and represents the Borough Council on the Board of the Stephen Joseph Theatre, North York Moors National Park Authority, the Yorkshire Tourist Board Council, and on the North Yorkshire Cultural Partnership.

A journalist working for regional newspapers, he was born and educated in Scarborough. He lives at West Ayton and is married to Marilyn and has two children, Lyndon, a barrister with the UNHCR in Sri Lanka, and a daughter, Siobhan, a legal executive in York.

MICHAEL GOODE - Member

Michael studied education at Birmingham and Aston University and has spent the majority of his career in education. He is probably most known as the Headteacher for Raincliffe School (1990 - 2004). Since his 'retirement' he has played a key role in various organisations including: The North York Moors Historical Railway Trust, The Advocacy Alliance and Scarborough Rotary Club.

He still plays an active role in education as a Governor at Scalby School and part time consultant to the Specialist Schools Trust. In addition Michael sits on various committee's at Scarborough Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council.

NORMAN MACLEOD - Member

Norman MacLeod is Keeper of Palaeontology at the Natural History Museum in London, and Honorary Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences, University College London.

Other activities include: the Board of Directors, Coquina Press; Associate Editor, Geodiversitas; Associate Editor, Systematic Biology; Emeritus Editor, Palaeontologia Electronica; Creator/Manager of PaleoNet; Executive Editor of PaleoBase; Section Editor (Earth History), Encyclopedia of Geology; Member, Publications Committee, Geological Society of London.

MICHAEL PITTS - Member

Michael Pitts is a Scarborian who attended Scarborough High School for Boys and then read PPE at Oxford. In 1960 he was national president of the United Nations Student Association.  From 1973 -89 he was head of Economics, Government and Social Studies at Scarborough Sixth Form College and from 1984-1989 served as NUJMB Chief Examiner in ‘A Level’ British Government and Politics.

Michael was a Scarborough Borough Councillor for 35 years (Mayor of Scarborough 1984/85) and a North Yorkshire County Councillor from l989 to 2005.  He represented NYCC on the North York Moors National Park Authority 1989 - 1999.

In 1967 he helped found the North York Moors Historical Railway Trust, and subsequently served as chairman.  He currently shares responsibility for education and museum aspects of Britain’s most successful preserved steam railway. In 1969, after the National Park and other public bodies refused to purchase the closed Scarborough to Whitby railway line, he founded and led a campaign which persuaded Scarborough Borough Council to purchase it in 1974 for public enjoyment.

Michael is Founder Chairman of Scarborough Enterprise Agency (1985 to present). Since 2004 he has co-chaired Scarborough Whitby Ryedale Learning Disabilities Partnership Board and he is the Founder Chairman of the Rotunda Geology Group (2005 to present).

ADRIAN NORRIS - Member

Adrian retired from his post as Senior Curator Natural Sciences, and member of the senior management team at Leeds Museums and Galleries Service, in 2003 after 40 years experience as a curator of natural sciences with responsibility for the care, research and interpretation of worldwide, internationally important, collections of zoology and botany.

His main interests include the History of Museums and Collections, especially taxidermy and shell collections, and the people who made these collections. He is a member of the board of the International Council of Museums Committee for Natural History Museums, and is currently Co-chair of the Working Group on the Art of Taxidermy and its Cultural Heritage Importance as well as a Member of ICOM’s NatHist Ethics Committee, which was established in 2007.

Adrian is currently National Recorder for non-marine molluscs for the Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland and County Recorder for both marine and non-marine molluscs for the Yorkshire Conchological Society and the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union. He is the author of many articles on molluscs and other natural history subjects as well as various museum-related papers. He is currently the Chairman of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union Natural Sciences Committee and a Past President of the Yorkshire and Humberside Federation of Museums and Art Galleries, the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union and the Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland as well as other national, regional and local natural history organisations.

IAN WYATT – Treasurer

Ian Wyatt is a Chartered Accountant with many years experience in industry in a range of organisations in the UK, Europe and the Far East. He is now a partner in Wyatt, Husler & Cook, Scarborough and Bridlington.

Ian is a Governor at Scarborough 6th Form College and Treasurer of Scarborough Hospital League of Friends.

ALEX LINDLEY – Member

Alex is a graduate of Pembroke College, Cambridge. She has worked at the Bank of England and HSBC as a Human Resources specialist, gaining Chartered MCIPD status (Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) in 2007. In 2009 she completed a Master of Arts in Heritage Studies at the University of Salford, to pursue a career in Arts and Museum management. She has experience of volunteering for a range of organisations, including the Imperial War Museum North, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Coventry Transport Museum and the York Archaeological Trust, where she currently supports the Volunteer Manager to administer and develop the volunteer scheme.

 JEFF SMITH - Member

Jeff was born and educated in Scarborough and lives locally in Burniston.  Spawned from an early engineering background he operates a multisite manufacturing business, Osprey Ltd as Managing Director.  He has a strong interest in history and natural history.

Patrons

Lord Oxburgh

Lord Derwent

The President of the Geological Society - Mr D T Shilston